Pegasus Post: June 20, 2017

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8 Tuesday June 20 2017 Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi PEGASUS POST News Raising eyebrows with a new way Reporter Sarla Donovan visits Aranui’s community school six months after it opened HAEATA. IT means “dawn.” The first appearance of light. New beginnings. The opening of Haeata Community College six months ago signposted a new era for schooling in the east. It’s a poster child for big-box classrooms, catering for up to 200 kids in one space. The year 1-13 school replaced Aranui High, Aranui Primary, Avondale Primary and Wainoni School after earthquake-damaged land and buildings and falling rolls prompted their closure. Bordering Shortland St and Breezes Rd, the size and newness of the buildings is striking. It looks like a large-scale primary school, with its sun shades, adventure playground and brightly coloured exterior panels. In the centre of the campus is a massive building housing the gymnasium, library, offices, cafeteria, kitchens and studios for music and drama. A glass-fronted atrium is at its heart, the school office tucked along one wall, in keeping with the open-plan vibe. It feels like a cross between a hotel lobby and a community hub. Opposite the office, a cafeteria displays the blackboard specials: today it’s creamy vege soup, nachos with melted cheese and a salad with bacon, haloumi and green beans. Mouse traps, wedges, pies and fruit salads feature in the cabinet. There’s only water and plain milk in the fridge and no processed food on offer. Kids sit at cafeteria tables wearing an assortment of clothing; hoodies and sneakers are popular. There is a uniform but the rules seem pretty flexible. Lavalava’s are everywhere the day I visit, all the teachers are wearing them and lots of students too. BUSY: Haeata Community College principal Andy Kai Fong has responsibility for over 900 students from ages 5 to 18. PHOTOS: MARTIN HUNTER I find out later it’s because of Samoan Language Week. There are 128 Samoans students at Haeata, making up the majority of its Pacific Island population. Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds blasts out of the sound system at 9am. Children dash through the atrium, thread around cafeteria tables and tumble out the big glass doors, on their way to class. Principal Andy Kai Fong is determined to meet the 21stcentury head on and he’s at the helm of a school that looks and functions differently to a traditional model. Primary, intermediate and secondary-aged children sharing the same campus. Teachers operating in shared, open plan spaces rather than individual classrooms. A strong emphasis on self-management and studentdirected learning. Laptops and phones instead of pens. Ninety minute periods. There’s a lot that’s new about Haeata, and Mr Kai Fong freely admits their approach has raised a few eyebrows and may have lost them some students in the months since opening. He’s okay with that, and accepts there’s a possibility the roll could go down next year. They’re trying to take a more holistic approach to learning, he says, and it will take time to educate the community about what the school is trying to achieve. In spite of that, the roll of 950 is healthy. They opened with 50 per cent more students than anticipated and are catering for kids who have come from 122 different schools. That figure reflects the transience in the area, as well as the school’s distinct character, which he says has attracted families from outside the local catchment. Their philosophy has something in common with Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery, which also uses a model of personalised, studentdriven learning, though he points out most students at that school attend by choice, not because it’s their local provider. Ultimately, the aspiration is to become a viable alternative for everyone in the catchment. Historically, only 40 per cent of local kids in the Aranui/Wainoni area attended their local school. “We’re trying to bring people home and offer education that’s purposeful, but it’s challenging for our community to get their heads around. We have copped criticism for the level of self-management (we expect from students). For seniors particularly, it takes time to embed – we’ve flipped expectations on their head. Whatever your plan, there’s challenges.” Interestingly, Mr Kai Fong didn’t have any input into the buildings, but says it’s an amazing place to work and the big-box style has never impacted strongly on what they want to do for learning. “We utilise the buildings and furniture for what we need. We can have up to 200 students or just two in these flexible spaces.” Great New Salon Opening Soon • Global Colour • Treatment • Foils • Balayage 30% OFF All chemical services valid until sept 2017 Great hair doesn’t happen by chance Unit 3, 37b Worcester St Linwood, Chch Ph. 03 595 5105
PEGASUS POST Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi Tuesday June 20 2017 9 of learning LEARNING: Pupils focused at Haeata Community College. A whirlwind tour through the school’s three open-plan learning spaces throws up a busy and noisy primary school, where separate clusters of children are working with teachers. No dividers punctuate the room, apart from a half-wall which separates a group of high-needs pupils. A soft hush descends when we enter the senior school. Students are scattered around the central learning area, at tables or on the floor, intent on computers or phones. Jack’s on his laptop, writing a story for an animated computer game. The boy next to him is surfing Youtube; his self-directed learning has taken a detour. Phoenix is doing algebra – she’s planning to join the navy. While there’s not many posters or student work on display, that’s maybe a reflection of how new this all is. In a small classroom off the main area, the familiar sight of a maths class in progress: teacher, whiteboard and four students. Small group teaching seems to be the thing here. Mr Kai Fong says as technology evolves, schools need to stay relevant and engaging to young people. It’s a balancing act. As I go to leave, a little group of kids comes trotting past behind their teacher who’s carrying a yellow cricket bat, wickets and a ball. They’re heading for the gym. She looks young, energetic, and committed. Perhaps it’s that, more than buildings or philosophy, which will determine whether Haeata becomes the school of choice for its community. Facts •Cost $298 million to build •Opened February 3, 2017 •Replaced Aranui High, Aranui Primary, Avondale Primary and Wainoni School •Opening roll 955 •Kids from 122 different schools attending •Caters for students from year 1 to year 13 Lions choir set to perform with South Brighton Voices • By Gabrielle Stuart THE LIONS Male Voice Choir will perform only once in the South Island leg of their tour – at the South Brighton Voices choir 70th jubilee concert. The 50-man choir is touring with the Lions team, and is set to perform at the three test matches and at four concerts in the North Island. Former Christchurch student, Cheuky Chan (right), is responsible for bringing the choir to the city. A concert pianist, she regularly accompanied the South Brighton Voices choir before she moved to Europe to study music, and while in Wales began accompanying the Lions Male • By Sarla Donovan ORGANISERS ARE pleased at the response from the community with 20-plus groups or individuals interested in using nine former Central New Brighton School classrooms. Old School Community Hub project co-ordinator Rachel Welfare said interested parties included artists, a group looking for office space to run a magazine, a pregnancy care organisation and a Menz Shed group. “It’s an awesome crosssection and what we were really hoping for the space. People are continuing to apply and hopefully we’ll have a working bee at the end of the month to get the space ready for people to start moving in in July.” She said they were currently working through the process of fitting people into the rooms, as some only wanted to use space for an hour a week while others needed room full-time. Voice Choir. South Brighton Voices secretary Helen Buxton said Ms Chan contacted them when she heard the choir would be touring New Zealand, and they told her about their 70thjubilee concert. There were also some “city council hoops to jump through” to ensure the project receives a promised partial rates rebate. “The city council like the project and are supportive of it,” Miss Welfare said. “They want non-commercial users and we’re trying to figure She put them in touch with the conductor, Ieuan Jones, and they agreed to arrange their trip so they could perform at the concert. Mrs Buxton said it was very exciting for the Christchurch choir members. She said the Lions choir planned to perform Hallelujah by Rufus Wainwright as part of the concert, which would also feature a range of pieces from gospel songs to a piece from The Sound of Music. •The concert will be held at The Piano on Wednesday, June 28, from 7.30pm. Tickets are $20, and available by email from liescallander@gmail.com. Former classrooms prove popular COMMUNITY USE: Empty classrooms at the former Central New Brighton School have attracted interest from more than 20 community groups and artists. that out now, where the line is drawn. We are working on a case-by-case basis.” The Old School Community Hub project is being managed by ReNew Brighton. It has permission from the Ministry of Education to use the site for two years. Taking Care of family Wills, Powers of Attorney, Family Trusts, Rest Home Subsidy, and Separation and Relationship Property Agreements, we’ll take care of you and your family. 3 locations: New Brighton, Styx Mill & Kaiapoi www.pierlaw.co.nz
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Pegasus Post: June 20, 2017

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